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Reaction Engineering

Chemical Safety Board Videos

Synthron Chemical Explosion, Morganton, NC (1/31/2003)
  • Bophal: Methyl Isocynate + H2O -> Bophal spawned change in regulations
  • Similar to Example 13-2 Increase amount in reactor rather than making two batches. Heat generated becamse greater than heat removed
Video Incident Report Exercise
BP Refinery, Texas City, TX (3/23/2005) and Chevron Refinery Fire, Richmond, CA (8/6/2012)
  • Corroded piping
  • The refinery used obsolete equipment rather than the safest modern designs
  • Analysis of the effectiveness of safeguards intended to control hazards was missing
Video Incident Report Exercise
West Fertilizer Explosion and Fire, West, TX (4/17/2013)
  • Ammonium nitrate explosion radiant heat increased surface temperature of NH4NO3
  • Poor Hazard awareness
  • Proximity of the facility to nearby homes and businesses
  • Inadequate emergency plan
  • Limited regulatory oversight
Video Incident Report Exercise
ExxonMobil Refinery Explosion, Torrance, CA (2/18/2015)
  • Fluid cracking unit (STTR) vapor and catalyst separated and coke on catalyst burned in regnerator. Coke particles found their way into electrostatic precipitator and explosion occurred
  • One of the slide valves malfunctioned
  • Hydrocarbon flammability unknown
  • Bad decision taken by the team with regard to steam injection
Video Incident Report Exercise
ExxonMobil Refinery Chemical Release and Fire, Baton Rouge, LA (11/22/2016)
  • Isobutene released and a plume formed and exploded
  • Operators ignorance
  • Distance between the valve and the machine that ignited
  • Plug-valve operated manually
  • Pressurized isobutene escape
Video Incident Report Exercise
ConAgra Natural Gas Explosion and Ammonia Release, Garner, NC (06/09/2009)
  • Indoor purging of natural gas, CH4. Water heater. What is the "explosive power" of a gas plume of a given size. Should have used combustible detector
  • The inclusion of a non-cleaning gas. The danger of natural gas into work areas
Video Incident Report Exercise
T2 Laboratories Inc. Reactive Chemical Explosion, Jacksonville, FL (12/19/2007)
  • Increase of temperature. The cooling system could fail
Video Incident Report Exercise
Sterigenics Ethylene Oxide Explosion, Ontario, Canada (3/9/2004)
  • Sterilize with ethylene oxide in chambers filled with medical instruments. Flow water into chambers to a eliminated gas. However, the operator skipped washer steps resulting in trace levels of ethylene oxide gas being passed over a flame heated catalyst to be removed oxidizers
  • What is heat of reaction? What is amplitude of the pressure waves?
Video Exercise
BP Amoco Thermal Decomposition Incident, Augusta, GA (03/13/2001)
  • 4 major accidents
  • Vapor explosion example 13-2 increase amount semibatch -> slow addition easy to remove heat
  • Point of no return
  • BP Polymers. Waste Plastic into tank molten plastic sealed relief valve secondary reaction in molten plastic to produce gas. Molten polymer sprayed onto workers
  • Marton International
  • MFG Plant. Release of toxic vapors. Did semibatch -> batch -> explosion not scale up properly Alyl alochol U. Point of no return
  • Distillation of MM Toluene. Runaway reaction in column. Anhydrous ammonia
Video Incident Report Exercise


Dust Explosions

Imperial Sugar Company, Dust Explosion and Fire, Port Wentworth, GA (2/7/2008)
  • Spilled fine sugar on floor. Dust collection system was not working properly. Spilled sugar on floor. Trapped sugar in belt system. Large surface area of fine granulated sugar
  • Also power plant in Connecticut. CH4 gas flows in pipes confined space
Video Exercise
Hoeganaes Corporation Fatal Flash Fire, Callatin, TN (1/31/2011)
  • Iron dust carried on buckets ignited. High surface area of dust particles leading to rapid burning role. Malfunction of bucket elevator, which formed dust particles in air that found a spark and dust collectors were often down for maintenance. Calculated heat of reaction for iron dust of O2
  • Also example of gas leak example. Assumed it was an N2 leak and it was really H2. Metal on metal spark ignite hydrogen, which then ignited iron dust. Did not test for flammable gas
Video Incident Report Exercise
AL Solutions Fatal Dust Explosion, New Cumberland, WV (12/9/2010)
  • Combustible zirconium and titanium dust and spark needed dust collector no standard for dust
  • Engineering controls for metal dust missing
  • Titanium powder high flammability
Video Incident Report Exercise

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Copyright 2018 by H. Scott Folger

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